The present invention relates to a single serving container including a bottle and a cap with a tear opening feature. In particular, the cap is securely attached to the bottle and both the cap and bottle are made from a plastic material to simplify recycling of the container. Once attached, the cap is designed to remain on the bottle.
Containers having bottle caps with "tear-type" openings can be found in various known forms. One such cap is the tear-off cap. By tearing a strip of the cap, the cap becomes removable from the bottle, either partially or wholly. Tear-off caps are available wherein a pulling member and cap are constructed in two parts, the cap portion being made of metal while the pulling member is made of metal or plastic. Also available are tear-off caps where the pulling member and cap are manufactured from one piece of metal.
However, containers incorporating caps having the above described features all exhibit limitations. One drawback is the separation of the cap from the bottle, which increases the possibility that the cap will be inadvertently discarded as litter. Another drawback is its recyclability. Often times, the tear-off cap is made of materials that are incompatible for recycling purposes, such as metal and plastic. Meanwhile, the bottle itself may be made of a third material. Often, the different materials used in the construction of the container require complicated separation techniques either during or prior to recycling. This is both time consuming and costly. The alternative would be to forego recycling all together.
A "tear-open" container, as opposed to a "tear-off" container, is beneficial in that the necessity of removing the cap from the bottle prior to the consumption of the enclosed beverage or product is eliminated. Since the torn portion remains attached to the container, there is a decreased possibility of the cap or tab being disposed of in an irresponsible manner. This is beneficial from both an environmental and safety standpoint. However, such tear-open containers have been typically constructed of metal.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to produce a low cost, single serving, plastic container in which the above mentioned drawbacks are eliminated.
Another object of the invention is to produce a plastic container with a cap having a tear opening feature.
An additional object of the invention is to produce a plastic container wherein the bottle and cap are made of a common material to thereby simplify the recycling process.
According to the invention, a plastic container having a tear-open cap may now be produced wherein the cap and the bottle are made from the same material. Thus, entire container may now be unitarily disposed of for recycling.
The container of the present invention is a single service container for beverages which includes an upright hollow body having a mouth formed at its upper end. A cap with a tear opening feature is mounted to the body at the mouth. The cap and the hollow body are constructed out of compatible recyclable materials, in particular, plastic. The cap is provided with a gasketing material on its lower surface which forms a seal around the mouth and further assists in retaining the beverage within the container. The cap is also provided with structures for securing it to the body, preventing its removal and causing the gasketing material to engage and seal container.
The tear open feature is defined in the cap as a tear strip which extends substantially across the opening formed by the mouth. The tear strip itself is defined by a pair of grooves or score lines formed in the cap. To open the tear strip, a pulling member is integrally provided therewith.
Upon the application of force on the pulling member, the tear strip will separate from the remainder of the cap along the score lines, thereby causing an opening to be formed in the cap. To assist in the opening of the container, the plastic of the cap is oriented in the direction of tearing. The score lines individually terminate on the opposing side of the cap and preventing the tear strip from being separated from the container. Once the contents have been consumed, the container may be unitarily disposed for recycling purposes.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.